The Weasley is a Cruel Fate
by DreamingwhileLucid
Summary: Victoire's gone through it all, pain and happiness. And in the end, all she wants to know, is if it's worth being a Weasley.


I am a Weasley. It's both a curse and a blessing in many ways.

A blessing. I was forty minutes old when I first made it into the newspaper. My mother was worn out, me being her first child, and doing her best to conceal me from the cameras. She showed me the picture when I was older. I couldn't believe that it was me. I had no hair, no teeth, and I was smiling. Never had I been that ugly. I told my mother is and she was quick to tell me that I had been beautiful my entire life, that it was in my blood. I didn't believe her, and I still don't today. But I was on the front cover of the Daily Prophet forty minutes into my life. And various members of my family, myself included, have made it onto the front page for years on end. Sometimes it's good to be known.

And sometimes it's not.

I was three when I watched my uncle almost beaten to death. We were simply walking down the street. It was my uncle, Severus, and I. My uncle occasionally bent down to coo to the tiny baby in his arms. He had been born a few months ago and this was his first walk out. His mother had been worried about germs or something and been reluctant to release her baby into the world. But my uncle had persuaded her just for me. My birthday was in two weeks and Uncle had promised me anything for my birthday. I wanted a broom more than anything else. I had two famous quidditch players in my family. It ran in my blood. I had noticed Uncle get tense as he was squeezing my hand too tight. "Ouch." He didn't seem to hear my little scream but he released me anyway. Severus was shoved into my arms moments later. I was so surprised that I almost dropped, but I held on tight. Uncle pushed both of us behind a collection of trashcans. I opened my mouth to protest but he covered my mouth with one hand. "Honey I need to stay back here and stay silent. You can't speak a word or let anyone know you are here. Do you understand?" His voice was so serious that all I managed was a tiny whimper. "Do you understand?" He was practically yelling, his eyes widening. I quickly shook my head and he pressed me down until I was sitting on the floor. I said nothing as he backed away.

Three men came into the alley way, their wands pointed. They were younger than my uncle. He had no chance against all of them. All I could hear was grunts and the bounce of spells. I held onto Severus tighter, burying my head into his turquoise clothing, trying to conceal my tears and hold back sobs. And then it happened. He let out a yell. I raised my head, pressing my hand over his mouth. He screamed. I glanced up with terrified eyes. A head was staring back at me. He raised his wand and I let out a scream of my own. The trashcans were blasted out of the way, along with the man and his wand. Uncle Harry stared back at me. His face was a bloodied and covered with dirt. He whispered his son's name and then mine before collapsing on the ground. I stared, hardly hearing the shuffle of feet as the one man left escaped. Another had already run and the third was dead on the ground a few feet from me. I believed the worst of Uncle.

Severus was crying now, as was I. And then I was screaming for help, running to the edge of the alley we were in and screaming into an empty street. People eventually wandered out of their houses and stores, only to find a child and baby covered in soot and blood and crying their eyes out. They tried to help us but I wouldn't let them. I ran until they followed me and found my uncle. People were crying with us. Screams of fury and fear tumbled through the air. I shied into the back corner with the baby, having been forgotten about. We sat there for a long time, watching more and more people move into the alleyway. Eventually I felt a tap on my shoulder. Most of the adults of my family were there, if not all of them. It was my father who had tapped me on the shoulder. I stood and let uncle Percy take Severus away from me. He shouldn't have though. Percy hadn't even been able to meet him yet. He was too busy with his minister duties. And Severus didn't like people to hold him that he didn't know.

I was home quickly, letting my father apparate to our home, or right outside it. Our security barriers were up. I found a camera in my face. I paid no attention, letting my father pull me over the grass until he could take down the spells, push me and all my cousins, aunts, and uncles inside the house, and then close them again. The first person to get to me was grandmum, Molly. She held me tightly for as long as she could before my mother got hold of me. Her arms pressed tight against my dirty skin. I couldn't believe that she was getting dirty. The next few hours went by in a blur. I cried most of it, even during my bath. Various people tried to comfort me but it never worked. Just as everyone was about to leave my very pregnant mother moved towards my aunt, the only one with red hair that I had. She had been crying all night with me. We had sat together on the couch. I knew why she was crying. She was married to my Uncle. And he was hurt. We could cry together. My mother returned with Teddy following her, Severus in her arms, and James holding her hand and half asleep. His thumb was in his mouth, something I had always thought was adorable, but now had no effect on me.

My mum informed me that they would all be staying over that night. Ginny would take the guest room with Severus in the crib and James in the bed with her. She asked politely if Teddy could sleep in the extra bed in my room. He had stayed over multiple times since Uncle took him in when his aunt passed away. I doubt my mother would even let me refuse him so I simply accepted it. That was how I ended up across from Teddy Lupin on my own bed. We talked most of the night. Sleep didn't seem possible. "Teddy, are you awake?"

"Yeah."

"Why are there bad people in the world like that? He didn't do anything. He was just getting me a present!"

"I don't know why. Maybe when we're grown-ups we'll understand."

"But I don't want to wait that long. I want to know now."

"You can't-"

"Is it my fault?"

At this, Teddy sat up in bed. I did the same and stared across the room at him. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. It took him a few more moments to speak. "Do you think it is?"

"I've never been out on a walk with Uncle before. What if it was that stupid picture of me?"

"In the Daily Prophet?"

"Uh-huh."

"Maybe…but he's gonna be okay. So it's no one's fault. That's what Ginny told me."

"But what's if he not? It'll be my fault. My fault and Severus'. I'll never ask for anything for my birthday again. I just want my uncle be okay! Pwease!" At this point, Teddy came and sat down the bed with me. I told him about what Uncle was going to be buy me and how we could have flown like the adults one day. We'd be famous quidditch stars. Even as I said it, I knew I didn't want that anymore. I didn't want to play quidditch or ever see a game again. The conversation progressed to the wizard who had pointed his wand at me and then to Hogwarts. But no matter how much we tried the conversation always got back on to my Uncle, the man who had raised Teddy and been there for me since birth. If you looked really hard at the picture of me the day I was born, you could see his elbow. "He's not gonna be okay."

"Of course he is Victoire! Don't say that!"

"Okay…he'll be okay…he will…he has to be." I pressed my face into Teddy's shoulder and fell asleep almost immediately. My parents came in the next morning and found me asleep sitting up, with my head against Teddy's shoulder and his own head against the wall, also asleep. It was one of those rare moments where we got to be in peace. It was almost non-existent around here. But that's what happens when you're a Weasley.


End file.
